


Fender-bender //POSIE VERSE

by littlewonders_of_twistandfate



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: AU, F/F, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:14:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27579010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlewonders_of_twistandfate/pseuds/littlewonders_of_twistandfate
Summary: Where Josie is having a bad day and to top it all of, her ex just rear ended her car.
Relationships: Penelope Park & Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 6
Kudos: 85





	Fender-bender //POSIE VERSE

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enoy this Posie oneshot,It is an adaptation from a story I made for another ship but I wanted to share it with the Posie fandom.  
> #IMISSPENELOPEEESOOOMUCH  
> Hope you enjoy!

Wake up, shower, feed the cat, pack lunch and go to work.

A simple morning routine designed to aid her forgetful self to at least accomplish the basic necessities before heading to work.

6/10 times she carried out the list without a hitch, those days were always productive and overall successful days where life seemed to be heading in the right direction.

3/10 times a small detail would escape her train of thoughts causing her to either leave her apartment without her lunch or some small detail that would just be a minor inconvenience to her day.

As time went on she got better at reducing the times she messed up in her routine, which made Josie feel a sense of pride, especially if she thought about what a mess her life was a few months ago.

However, no one is immune to those 1/10 times were everything that can go wrong…goes wrong. It all started since the moment she woke up. Her blurry vision betrayed her and combined with the grogginess of just waking up, she managed to trip and fall with the computer cable.

Grabbing her glasses her vision became completely focused, her fall created a nasty looking mark that would sure become a bruise in the next hour. Sighing she stood up dusting away any trash she picked up from her time on the floor.

Shower time was no better, the cold water valve wasn’t working making it impossible to regulate the water temperature. By the end of her shower Josie’s skin was red from the burning water. At least the cocoa butter body lotion gave her skin some relief, bless MG for sneaking that expensive lotion into her cart.

Mr. Gato loved her and was sweet to her as long as she didn’t bother him too much, Mr. Gato preferred chilling on his own. Scratching humans was something Mr.Gato was not fond off, he preferred to ignore humans in general. So when Mr.Gato suddenly scratched Josie out of nowhere leaving her with an open wound, she truly knew this would not be her day.

To top it all off her trusty Honda Civic wouldn’t turn on, she was already late for work so she’d just call in sick and hope for tomorrow to not suck as well. Just as she was about to call her boss, the engine roared indicating it was ready to hit the road.

“Maybe today isn’t going to be such a bad day” Josie buckled her seat belt, drove off listening to the universe telling her not to miss work today.

_Thud!_

Someone had just rear ended her car, groaning Josie angrily unbuckled and looked out her rear view mirror. A black tesla was the culprit, great… she now had to deal with a stubby rich person who was texting while driving not looking at the road and being a responsible driver.

Instead she got a young stylish lady, with beautiful jet black hair, porcelain skin to match her perfect features…oh and one little detail, it happened to be her ex who she both despised and loved…Penelope.

“Fuck this day” Josie thought to herself as she fumbled to open the door, probably looking ridiculous to other people watching.

“You got to be kidding…” she heard Penelope scoff in disbelief. Hearing her voice was both a sweet melody and a torturous event, they had a rather messy break up. A lot of things went unresolved, but then again people breakup because they can't settle their differences.

Her car was not terribly damaged, it had a small dent and would need a paint job to fix the other details. MG knew many great and economic mechanics, she'd just ask her later. Josie didn’t want to deal with Penelope more than she had to, she’d just get in her car and deal with the damages later.

That was her plan until Penelope spoke.

“Look I’ll just give you the money, I really need to get to work I’m already running behind schedule”

Work, a word that made her blood boil, a word ultimately drove them apart. Out of spite Josie grabbed her phone looking for her insurance contact number.

“Let’s let the insurance handle this” A coy smile adorning her lips as she watched the other girl protest in exasperation.

Josie took as long as she could on the phone just to irk Penelope. If looks could kill…then Penelope would have slaughtered her by now.

“An appraiser will come in about 20 minutes”

“Just take the money Josie…I’ll give you double, so you can upgrade whatever you’d like”

Josie scoffed “Typical of you, thinking money solves everything….”

Penelope shrugged looking at the cars that passed them by “No, but it does help make life easier”

Silence set in, the shorter girl sending texts to alert them she would be arriving late to work. Penelope was always responsible and ambitious never missing work, even if she was sick. Josie took in her surroundings, a shiny new expensive car that now had a small scrape thanks to Penelope's careless driving.

"So a Tesla...seems expensive" Penelope squinted her eyes unsure as to where this conversation was headed.

"Gas is expensive so electric cars are cheaper in the long run"

"No matter if you buy a water car, you still drive like shit" Josie poked sounding more playful than she intended. Penelope gave a dry chuckle "You got point."

Penelope hesitated before talking again. "I'm sorry for damaging your car, I know how much you take care of it. I'll make sure to fix it back up"

The animosity came back in Josie's tone "Don't worry I'm used to you damaging things that are important to me"

"Josie..." Her voice coming out in a whisper trying to reach the other girl.

Before awkwardness could fill the air, the appraiser finally came.

A tall girl in a white button up shirt came out of a Nissan versa. Her hair was slicked back in a ponytail looking as professional as one could be. But when she opened her mouth to speak both girls where rather surprised.

"Sup ladies the names Hope" She clapped her hands making Penelope flinch at the sudden sound.

"Let's get this party started!" Hope enthusiastically shook both their hands getting her pen out to start inspecting the damage.

"Honda Civic 2012,black,in pristine conditions" The appraiser gave a big thumbs up to the girls as if commending the good care the owner gave it.

"Okay, I see 40 cm dent with 6 scratches...interesting" As peculiar as the girl seemed she was good at her job. Noting down every little detail that could add or subtract the value for repairs.

Penelope tried getting closer to the monolid girl, she wanted to continue their conversation from earlier but every time she opened her mouth Josie would look the other way.

"Josie, just look at me" Penelope pleaded low enough for both of them to hear. Hope perked up looking straight at both of them. "Ladies why the long faces? No need to worry this was just a fender bender" Hope put her clipboard on top of Penelope's car giving the two girl a quizzical look.

"With all due respect, just finish the job so we can get out of here" Josie just wanted to get this over with, Penelope was too close to her personal space. She was seriously regretting calling the insurance and having to endure Penelope more than needed.

"I got it! The atmosphere feels angry with a hint of sadness" Both girls looked down away from Hope's line of sight. "Friends fight all the time girls, I'm sure this can be resolved if you talk it out" Penelope was not one to express her thoughts with strangers sometimes not even with her closest friends.

However, she could not pass this unconventional opportunity, it might be the last time she could get a hold of the monolid girl.

"This wasn't a friendship fight..." Josie whipped her a look of disbelief in her eyes, she was confused as to why Penelope was following along.

"Lover's quarrel! A breakup that would perfectly fit the atmosphere I am sensing" Hope got out her pen and a spare white sheet of paper bringing it onto the top of her clipboard.

"There are two sides to every story, so let's start with grumpy over here" Hope pointed towards Penelope who glared for a moment at the nickname given to her by the appraiser.

Before Penelope could start telling her side of the story a hand covered her mouth to stop her from talking.

"I'll start before she can lie to your face" Josie abruptly took her hand off Penelope's mouth.

"Don't worry Bear girl I am neutral" Penelope couldn't help but release a small huff trying to suppress her laugh the nickname caused her. Josie really did look like human teddy bear.

"The only truth is that Penelope wanted to become successful in life and there were no room for distractions...like me"

"Is that what you think?"

"Shhh" Hope motioned to the smaller girl so Josie could continue telling her side of things.

"Work became the number one priority in her life, at first I understood where she was coming from. She had to work hard for things in life, she was always so disciplined and I admired that about her" Josie sighed before she continued.

"When we met we were just two broke college students finding the pleasures in the little things. I fell in love with the girl who would make me orange paper cranes with cute little notes attached to them. Not the one who would give me a meaningless pair of expensive shoes" She couldn't contain her tears any longer.

Memories flooding in , making Josie ache for simpler times. Despite her having a stable job and not having to worry about money like she did back in her college days, Josie wished for the happiness she had back then.

"I was happy you were succeeding but as new things came ....I felt there was no room for me left" Josie cleared her throat as she wiped away any remaining tears. Maybe this is what she needed to finally close this chapter.

After their breakup Josie was a complete mess, at first she didn't know how to carry on with her daily life. Some days she just wanted to lay in bed all day thankfully her friend MG never let her wallow in sadness.

Her morning routine was created to help her set up goals, it took Josie two months to complete her list. Before she knew it every day she was managing to cross every chore on her routine. Her life seemed to be getting better too, she socialized more, took up new hobbies but deep down she was always thinking of Penelope.

A big hand gave her a tissue so she could wipe away her tears and freshen up. Josie didn't want to hear what Penelope had to say, she had made up a narrative in her mind and maybe the truth would be worse than what she conjured up.

Josie was the one who left one night after a heated argument. She would have never guessed their relationship would end over a piece of meat.

The meat was just the drop that spilled the glass, they had been falling out for a long time. Never really talking things out, letting things bottle up until they exploded and said things they regretted. That night in the heat of the moment Josie grabbed a duffle bag and left a raging Penelope behind, spending the night at MG’S place.

Josie spoke with Penelope a week later only to inform her she would be picking up some of her stuff, neither apologized for what they said. Pride consumed their bodies waiting for the other to extend the olive branch, but it never came.

When all was said and done regret set in, but Josie believed in the universe ruling your path and maybe Penelope was not Josie's destiny.

"I did all this for you....but I fucked up and I lost you" Penelope's voice sounded broken, she couldn't look up in fear she would crumble not having any more strength to continue acting tough. Penelope wasn't a greedy person; she didn't crave money even when she had little of it.

She had always been ambitious not so much to garner money but to gain respect of others. To prove that anyone can come up in life if they put in the time and effort. Penelope couldn't deny that luck played a part in some opportunities that were presented to her.

Meeting the right people was also important, Penelope started going to events and befriending other types of people. The kind that grew up with a silver spoon in their mouths and had a different perspective of life, one fueled by the drive that you can accomplish anything.

"I wanted you to do what made you happy without worrying about things I could handle"

Penelope rose through the ranks quickly, each time adding another zero to her paycheck. She had a goal, a certain amount that would allow Josie to quit her job and focus on her passion.

Painting had been something Josie had loved since she was little, it was a talent few people appreciated. Unless you were some trendy artist ,you couldn't really make a living out of it.

Josie took up a regular 9-5 after graduating school, one day she wanted to try it full time but reality always pulled her back.

Penelope wanted to take that burden away from her. She would work double so Josie could be truly happy. Only one more zero and she would tell Josie why she was never home and always out trying to network with the right people.

However, when that last zero came Josie left.

"I would walk the obstacles for both of us, so you could have the pain free path" Penelope drew in shaky breaths she had been scared to look at Josie in case she found hatred in the other girls eyes.

"The whole reason I worked my ass off wasn't because I was money hungry, it was so you could quit your job and pursue your passion without any worries" The tears broke free and came with a force she let them flow falling onto the concrete street.

Penelope was crushed into a tight hug, the scent of flowers filling the air she breathed. It had been months since Josie's scent had been near her. The apartment they once shared had long been rid of the smell that brought so much comfort to Penelope.

"Our struggles make our victories taste sweeter" she allowed herself to completely break down in Josie's embrace not caring the looks they might be getting from people passing by.

Although she was the one doing the heavy sobbing she felt Josie's tears land on her neck. When they broke the hug Hope gave them each tissues to clean up.

"As I said I would remain neutral" Hope got closer to them revealing that she had been taking notes all this time.

"Miscommunication is a bitch, which is what happened to you guys" Hope stated her observations, she was never one to sugarcoat things. She wasn't a hopeless romantic but she could spot sparks when she saw them.

To Hope their story hadn't ended it had a new chapter to it.

"I'm not saying get together right now obviously you need to work on your communication skills also don't keep things a secret and don't bottle up emotions" She said the last part pointing at Josie.

"Bear girl is right shortie, in life we all have obstacles to face some smaller than other but we have to face them in order to grow as an individual" Penelope nodded looking down at the ground only to have Hope redirect her gaze towards her.

"You love enough to carry her burdens which is commendable, just talk it out before you do something like that again."

"I'm sorry for making decisions for the both of us" Penelope apologized hoping it was not too late. Josie cracked a small smile taking Penelope's hand in hers.

"And I'm sorry for letting my emotions get the best of me, I didn't know how much I had to mature until I was alone " Josie had always relied on someone during her life, when she met Penelope in a way they both needed each other.

At first they complimented one another like yin yang energy but somewhere along the line she became too dependent and the yin yang become only yang and things stopped being harmonious.

"I became responsible, cared for myself and for the well being of others. I got a cat, his name is Mr.Gato" Josie dug out her phone from her pockets and showed Penelope pictures of the funny looking cat.

"You got a cat?" Penelope bewilderedly said, last she knew Josie was more of a dog person.

"He was a small stray kitten when I found him, Mr.Gato will love you! " She clapped excitedly at the thought of Penelope meeting Mr.Gato, she would just remind Penelope to bring his favorite cat treats so e would warm up to her.

Penelope giggled "It would be my pleasure to meet the famous Mr.Gato"

Hope looked at both of them with awe, those two were definitely love birds who just needed a little nudge in the right direction. You never knew what the day would hold, that's what Hope loved about her job.

"Well Kiddos it was blast meeting you two by the way here you go" Hope handed Penelope a copy of the total repair cost she would have to give to her insurance company. As Penelope had expected the repair cost were relatively low.

"Of course I'll fax them the document." Hope gave them a thumbs up, putting her pen back in her pocket.

"It was nice meeting you two, hope we don't run into each other again. I'm looking at you shortie, learn to drive better" Hope flicked Penelope's head in a teasing manner.

Just like she came Hope boarded her Nissan Versa and drove off without looking back. The mysterious insurance appraiser disappearing into the crowded streets.

"Are you free tomorrow?" Penelope shyly asked unsure of where they stood.

"Actually I'm already 3 hours late to work...don't think that's an acceptable time to come in"

"Let's just call in sick, I'm starving what about you?" The smaller girl nodded on board with the plan Josie was coming up with.

"Josie Saltzman let's go eat some pancakes!"

There were many things that still needed to be dealt with, but for now Josie and Penelope would take it step by step their yin yang energy harmonious once again.

  
\------...-----

_What would a cat enjoy?_

Penelope had that question stuck in her mind for hours with no answer in sight. Roaming through the shopping center she had found a quirky pet boutique store. Adorned with pictures of cats and dogs this would probably be her best option to find something for Mr.Gato.

_Ding_

The bell indicated that Penelope had entered the shop, at first glance she saw no one come to greet her so she just explored by herself. There were various sections to the shop, she started with the accessories.

Maybe Mr.Gato could rock some cute sweaters or hats, but then again ‘When have I ever seen a cat in a hat?’ Penelope thought to herself setting down the blue stripped hat she had picked up. Collars could be a good option; they could be stylish but are still practical enough that a cat won’t claw them out.

Immersed in choosing the best looking collar she didn’t notice the person that creeped up behind her. “Hello! Do you need any help?” An overly enthusiastic voice startled her dropping the collar she was just looking at. Before Penelope could bend down and pick the item up, the collar was back in her hands.

“Nice choice! I love this banana print; we also have shirts with the same print in case you would like to match with your feline friend!”

“Oh…I-”

“I’m Dana I work here.” The red headed girl said with a smile on her face. Penelope smiled back not wanting to seem rude since the other girl was giving off a cheerful aura. “Actually I’d appreciate your help” Penelope figured the girl was an expert in the pet department surely she would know what a cat would like.

“Of course!” Dana effused guiding Penelope to another section of the store where the toys where located. “So tell me more about your feline friend” Penelope shook her head “It’s my …friends cat, I just wanted to get him a gift” It felt weird addressing Josie as her friend but it was better than calling her ‘ex’ at least it meant things were getting better.

“Here this will be a perfect gift!” Dana handed her an electric rat toy apparently it was rated number 1 between Cat owners. It made sense to Penelope, cats liked rats…or at least that’s what cartoon shows taught her.

“You can never go wrong with a wool ball, cats love to play around with it” Penelope just nodded, who was she to contradict a cat guru like Dana? At the end of her time in the pet shop she left with a bag full of stuff. Somehow Dana had also persuaded her into buying that banana print cat collar/human shirt matching set insisting that her friend would love it.

Driving to Josie’s new apartment was making her more nervous than she had anticipated. Ever since their reunion they had been texting everyday but their schedules didn’t allow them to meet in person. So when an opportunity arose Penelope was quick to say yes.

Penelope was surprised to hear that Josie would be cooking for their evening together, Josie wasn’t known for being a mastermind behind the kitchen. She was glad the other had been exploring new sides of herself. When Josie said that she had matured she was right and it made Penelope even more proud of the woman Josie had become.

She parked her car making sure not to forget the cat gifts that took her hours to buy. ‘I’m here! :)’ she texted Josie before walking up the flight of stairs that led to the apartment. The building was nice, a light brown color that seemed well maintained despite the corroding weather. Penelope felt her mind at ease knowing Josie lived in a safe place.

“Penelope, come in!” Josie was already waiting for her eager for the older girl to come inside. The inside of her apartment was lively, bright colors matched with earth tones gave the place a nice look. She spotted some paintings that had Josie’s signature at the bottom, Penelope made a mental note to ask about those later.

“I brought Mr.Gato some gifts” Penelope placed the bag on top of the table so Josie could see what was inside. “I love this!” The banana print shirt was a hit and when she saw the matching cat collar Penelope received a hug from the other girl. “We just need another one for you and then we can all match” Penelope felt her heart burst with happiness seeing how Josie still considered her to be a part of her family despite what had transpired between them.

That was why she felt nervous to meet this cat. In a way Mr.Gato had become Josie’s priority during their time apart and was now an important aspect of her life. If she wanted to be a part of Josie’s life again then it would be crucial that Mr.Gato not hate her in case they had to live together in the near future.

Whatever food Josie had made smelled good or maybe she was hungry from having skipped breakfast in the morning. Penelope waited in the living room as Josie prepared the final touches so they could eat. ‘Where is the cat?’ she thought to herself as she looked for the orange cat. If she could get him alone for a few minutes maybe Mr.Gato could warm up to her before Josie saw them interact.

Her search was in vain finding no traces of the cat that had been plaguing her thoughts for the last few days. She decided to give up for the time being as she saw Josie come back with two plates. “I saw this recipe online and it seemed easy to make so I gave it a try” The dish was a little messy but Penelope didn’t mind, she’d probably eat burnt food if Josie was the one giving it to her.

“I’m excited to try it”

Josie got up again as if she had forgotten something. “I bought some red wine to go with it” She poured Penelope a glass first then she poured herself some. When they started eating Penelope was able to soak in the moment better. Josie looked breathtaking with her top bun and cheeks full of food, Penelope was aware that there wasn’t anything spectacular in just eating a meal with someone. To her this moment was blissful because she almost lost it forever.

“Want a house tour later? Well more like an apartment tour”

“I’d love to ,so I can finally meet Mr. Gato” Penelope hadn’t seen the cat at all, she’d assumed it might come out as the scent of the food penetrated the apartment but still no cat in sight. “He likes to hide in the weirdest of places, he’ll come out eventually”

Penelope insisted in washing the dishes as a form of gratitude for the meal. Besides washing dishes was something that relaxed her contrary to other people who loathed the chore. Since it was Tuesday Josie had to take the trash down to the containers before the garbage truck beat her to it and then she would be left with two weeks’ worth of trash.

Pots, pans, cups and to finish off silverware was Penelope’s preferred method of washing dishes. She had just finished the last set of pots dumping the water out of the container to make new soap water for the next set of dishes. As she reached for dish soap she felt something fuzzy underneath the tip of her fingers jolting her back in fear it could be a cockroach.

“Ahhh” When she opened her eyes she didn’t see the animal she was expecting instead she saw an orange and black cat staring intensely back at her. This is the cat she had been looking for since she got here only to have him appear out of thin air. Damn cats being all ninja like.

Mr.Gato was a unique cat in his own right, his fur was orange with splotches of black all around. However, the main thing that set him apart from your average cat was the two white lines directly above his emerald eyes; making it seem he always had an angry expression to him.

“Hi there kitty….I’m Penelope” As soon as her name left her mouth the cat hissed sending her stumbling until she hit the her back on the countertop. ‘Oh no…he hates me’ Penelope was doomed all her hopes for a smooth first meeting had vanished. “Mr.Gato…I have some gifts” she approached him with precaution as not to startle him. The cat moved slowly towards her outreached hand Penelope relaxed her stance thinking the cat would allow himself to be pet. Instead Mr.Gato hissed once again this time throwing his claw in the air to swat Penelope’s hand away.

Before the cat could tarnish Penelope’s delicate hand, the door opened. Josie’s hand were now full of plastic containers, that had several types of cakes in it.

“Don’t worry I washed my hands before Mrs.Lee gave them to me” Penelope blinked several times, trying to regain her composure from a rabid cat almost wanting to kill her. When she glanced back to where the little monster attacked her she found that he had vanished once again.

“Cake?” Penelope made her way towards the younger girl to inspect what she had brought back. There were 6 different flavored cake slices, some had fondant and others just buttercream on top. They looked delicious but Penelope was more concerned of the quantity.

“Mrs. Lee owns a small bakery downtown, she likes inventing new stuff and mixing flavors. She always gives me a taste of them each week.” Josie proceeded to put the cakes in the refrigerator before they started melting off.

“That can’t be healthy”

“Maybe not but they’re delicious, I bought you one!” There was one cake that was in a different container, a more stylish one.

“Doesn’t she give them to you for free?”

They both sat down on the couch, Josie handed Penelope the prettier cake and she grabbed another for herself.

“She gives me her samples, but I like to buy her established flavors. Since you were coming over I order your favorite, carrot cake” Penelope felt her stomach fill with butterflies at Josie’s sweet gesture.

Back in their college days whenever they had the chance, and the money, they would visit a small bakery in the upscale part of town. Apart from the lovely scenery the place possessed, the most remarkable thing was their pastries.

Penelope didn’t have much of a sweet tooth but cakes were the exception. Funnily enough she disliked carrot cake in the beginning. ‘It’s a vegetable not a dessert!’ she used to say when someone mentioned carrot cake.

The day they found the small bakery, the owner ushered them to try their best sellers since the girls were indecisive on what to eat. As luck would have it she unknowingly tasted the carrot cake, her eyes widening as she tasted one of the best cakes she’d ever had. Only to find out later it was the flavor she used to nag Josie about.

“I haven’t had cake in a while” she opened the container and gave it a quick sniff “Woah this smells good” Penelope dug into her cake with glee, sometimes almost choking on some pieces of nuts.

“Does it taste as good as Sweet Treats?” Josie managed to sneak a bite when Penelope wasn’t looking, or at least that’s what she thought because the other girl gave pouted like a little kid when she caught Josie stealing.

Penelope reflected on the answer, it was a good cake on its own. Nothing spectacular in the way it was made. Yet she enjoyed it just as much as the Sweet Treats one, it really all came down to one aspect, Josie was there.

“With you here it measures up to the legendary Sweet Treats one” Penelope couldn’t help but to speak her thoughts making Josie break out into her characteristic wide smile.

“I’ll make sure to order more for you with Mrs.Lee”

“Only if we can eat it together” Penelope replied scooting closer to Josie because ‘friends’ sat next to each other all the time. Josie playfully hit her “You ate all the cake! Technically we didn’t eat it together.”

“Next time order 2!” She cheekily replied poking her tongue out to make a point.

“Lizzie made me go to a cooking class” Josie changed the topic, she could sense the surprise earlier when Penelope had tasted the dish she had made. In the early days of the breakup Josie barely ate not even wanting to get out of bed.

Thankfully her sister was there to help her through it almost spoon feeding her if needed. After a few weeks of being more stable, Lizzie stopped bringing her home made food and Josie resorted to take out and ramen.

She got through a month’s worth of take out before feeling physically sick every time she saw orange chicken. Lizzie wasn’t too happy when she swung by Josie’s apartment only to see it filled with old takeout packages.

‘Josie this is an apartment not a dumpster’ Lizzie had yelled back then as she helped tidy up the place. She also wasted no time looking for cooking classes to put Josie in. Despite the initial resistance and also due to Lizzie almost dragging her by the ear, Josie began to enjoy the classes.

It may not have been an astounding hit, making her into a MasterChef but she did learn how to feed herself properly and not intoxicate herself in the process.

“Really?” Penelope gasped at the revelation.

“Lizzie said I couldn’t live on Ramen forever”

“Or on pringles,I saw like 15 cans in the kitchen”

Josie gasped “Not 20! Just like 8 cans”

The other girl giggled raising an eyebrow to question the validity of Josie’s claim. “Fine. Maybe I have more than I should” Josie huffed in protest.

“Well I enjoyed the food very much, you are a good chef”

Penelope loved when Josie received a compliment, her face would crunch up making her eyes disappear for a second, oh how she missed that cute eye smile.

Their bodies seemed to gravitate to one another pulling themselves closer before her mind could do anything about it. Penelope let out a shaky breath, being this close to Josie was as difficult as it was alluring. All she wanted to do was close the gap and kiss her already but she wouldn’t do it at least not until Josie was the one to initiate it.

This time around she didn’t want to do anything that could derail all their positive progress they had made.

“I really thought I’d never see you again” Josie whispered her eyes never leaving her face.

“Josie I- ” She wanted to fill the air with new promises, with pleads that she would stay by her side no matter what.

Before she knew it her lips were grazing over Josie’s, both hesitant to close the almost nonexistent space between them. In the end it was her who pushed their lips together, savoring the memory of their first kiss since the breakup.

It was a delicate kiss filled with the force of every broken promised that had been made, every moment of sadness in between but it also held the promise of a new begging. A flicker that erupted into a flame, their love burning deeply between them.

They separated for a brief moment, their lungs desperate to get some oxygen. Penelope wanted nothing more than to rip Josie’s clothes off and make some new memories in the new couch. Their bodies collided again, this time their kiss was more aggressive the tension began growing, Penelope fumbled to find a zipper or buttons to get the other girl naked.

Her hands gliding across Josie’s back, occasionally she would feel hair on her hand but dismissed it knowing the pony tail of her companion was starting to fall off. Finally, she found buttons to take off the other girl’s clothes.

Again her hand touched Josie’s hair except hair doesn’t hiss at you when you touch it…

She jolted stopping the kissing and undressing when she realized there was a cat behind Josie staring at her like she had just committed a crime. Penelope leaped back “Shit” she suddenly felt caught red handed as if someone had walked in on them.

Josie seemed confused and a tad bit hurt by Penelope’s sudden lack of interest. “What’s wrong?”

“Your cat is watching us grope each other on the couch” Penelope pointed behind Josie. Mr. Gato meowed incessantly until Josie picked him up.

“Josie please button your shirt I feel like a little kid just caught us making out” she almost laughed at herself, just a second ago she wanted Josie naked and now she was ordering for her to get dressed.

“Here hold him” Penelope was about to protest but the cat got shoved into her hands before she could say anything. She held the cat awkwardly away from her face. Penelope swore the cat was scowling at her but apparently Josie thought they were bonding.

“You two look adorable! He loves you already, that’s his happy face” Josie stated nuzzling against Penelope who was now on the other side of the couch.

The monolid girl engulfed both of them in a tight hug, Penelope could feel the cat protest by making a low hissing sound. ‘Please don’t bite me’ Penelope silently prayed for the cat to spare her nice looking hands.

Having Josie hugging her so closely made her relax and she could feel Mr.Gato relax alongside her. He seemed to respond positively towards Josie’s voice. ‘She calms us down’ She thought to herself, at least the cat and her had things in common.

“We should totally take a picture together!” Josie clapped in delight jumping off the couch to look for her polaroid camera, the cat breaking loose of Penelope’s grip and following behind her. Penelope exhaled the breath she didn’t even know she was holding in.

She fixed her shirt and hair as if she had not been in a heated session with the monolid girl just moments ago.

The moment she saw Josie all giddy with the cat in one hand and her camera in the other, Penelope knew there was no other place she’d rather be.

That first polaroid of them together set in motion their yearly tradition of Christmas photos with matching clothes for them and Mr. Gato. Lizzie used to tease Penelope all the time about how Mr.Gato looked like he was ready to scratch her once the picture was taken but over the years his expression soften.

When they got married and Mr.Gato wore an adorable tux to the wedding ,Penelope made sure the cat kept it on when Josie wasn’t looking. When they brought home their adoptive son, Mr.gato became interested in the new addition not minding being toyed with by the toddler.

Penelope often looked back on all the pictures they took together, birthdays, holidays and anniversaries they all held a dear place in her heart. The last polaroid in her hand was the dearest to her, it was the last Christmas they spent together. Penelope swore the always grumpy looking cat had a smile plastered on his face, happy to be in the arms of their 7-year-old son.

Not long after that the hands of time caught up to Mr.Gato and he passed away peacefully in his sleep. The whole house felt his absence, a piece forever missing. Despite it being Josie’s cat initially, Penelope was the one who got hit hardest by his death.

“He was the happiest cat ever; he was loved by all. Mr.Gato wouldn’t want us to be sad” Josie often said to cheer her up.

Now looking at the pictures of Mr. Gato’s adventurous life brought her joy and a tingle of sadness.

“You sneaky cat, you really did sneak into my heart and made it yours” She chuckled closing the small wooden box that kept all their memories bundled up in one place.

“You really were a ninja” She looks up and smiles before placing the box where it belonged.

“Mommy, let’s go outside to play!” Her 8-year-old son came barging in the room, anxious to go outside and release all his energy. Penelope laughed watching his son jump up and down, hugging him tight despite his groaning.

“Come on little rascal let’s go play!” Her son needed no more convincing, sprinting off in a hurry with his basketball in hand.

Somedays she had to pinch herself because her life seemed too good to be true. A perfect wife, a perfect son and the perfect feline friend…

Penelope sometimes thought Hope was some sort of alien or fairy god mother, as she remembered the Insurance appraiser who kick started everything again.

**_“And to think this all happened because of a fender bender”_ ** _She said to herself as she walked outside joining her family in a friendly game of basketball. There really was no other place she’d rather be._


End file.
